Turning Over the Jony Ive Era: Andre’s Departure Signals Team Transformation at Apple
Apple Inc. bids farewell to its longest-serving senior industrial designer, as Bart Andre announces his departure, signaling a significant transformation within the company’s design team. Andre, who joined Apple in 1992 alongside the iconic Jony Ive, recently informed colleagues of his decision to retire, according to sources familiar with the matter.
His exit marks the culmination of a near-complete turnover of the team once helmed by Ive, the visionary behind Apple’s groundbreaking designs. Throughout his tenure, Andre played a pivotal role in shaping the aesthetic of Apple products spanning three decades, leaving an indelible mark even prior to Steve Jobs’ return to leadership in the late 1990s. Renowned as one of Ive’s top lieutenants, Andre assumed a leadership role within the design team following the departure of former chief Evans Hankey last year.
Moreover, he is recognized as one of the principal holders of Apple patents, underscoring his significant contributions to the company’s innovation efforts. Reflecting on Andre’s legacy, Christopher Stringer, a former colleague at Apple who now heads sound company Syng, remarked, “His mark on Apple products is indelible — I see him every day in the details.”
Ive’s core design team was made up of about two dozen people for well over a decade. Around the time Ive left in 2019, an exodus began. Nearly all of the senior designers who reported directly to Ive have now left. Many of them joined LoveFrom, a design firm founded by Ive that worked with Apple until two years ago.
The industrial-design team has been replenished with new outside talent, but there are few longtime members remaining who worked under Ive and helped create hit products like the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Richard Howarth, who serves as vice president of design, is a carryover from the Ive era, along with Molly Anderson and Duncan Kerr.
Since Hankey’s departure, the most senior designers have led the team’s day-to-day operations, working alongside Williams. The operating chief was picked to manage the group, in part, so that he could better coordinate with the manufacturing team. There also was a lack of other viable options to replace Hankey.The Apple design team is tasked with devising the look and feel of devices and software, as well as developing new features and interfaces. That includes minute details like the sound of ringtones and alerts from an iPhone.
The group was central to the creation of the company’s last two product categories, the Apple Watch and Vision Pro. The watch’s design was spearheaded by Ive, who also helped craft the iMac, iPod and iPhone. Though the Vision Pro began development during his tenure, he left years before it was released.